Scallop, Weathervane – Alaska

The Weathervane Scallop is a large scallop, growing up to 25 cm in shell height, distributed from central California to Alaska. They grow fast and reach sexual maturity by 4 years.

Most Weathervane Scallops are caught in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea, where fishery management has established catch limits and regulations to control fishing pressure. Although abundance levels are uncertain, current catch levels appear sustainable.

Weathervane Scallops are captured using scallop dredges, which can cause substantial habitat damage. However, several regions have been closed to fishing to reduce habitat impacts.

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Fish Key:

Species has a combination of problems such as overfishing, high bycatch, and poor management.

Some problems exist with this species' status or catch methods, or information is insufficient for evaluating.

Species is relatively abundant, and fishing methods cause little damage to habitat and other wildlife.

A fishery targeting this species has been certified as sustainable and well managed to the Marine Stewardship Council's environmental standard. Learn more at http://www.msc.org.

These fish contain levels of mercury or PCBs that may pose a health risk to adults and children. Our source of information is http://seafood.edf.org/. We also recommend that you check local advisories.